South Korea has arrested the leader of the controversial Unification Church over allegations the organisation bribed South Korea’s former first lady in exchange for business and political favours.
Han Hak-ja’s church is accused of giving Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, together worth 80 million won ($57,900; £42,500).
Han, the 82-year-old widow of the church’s founder Sun Myung Moon, has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them “false”.
The church said Tuesday it would “faithfully engage” with authorities and “do [its] best to use this as an occasion to restore trust in our church”.
It also apologised for “causing concern to the people”.
Prosecutors had sought an arrest warrant for Han on four charges, including improper solicitation and graft, and occupational embezzlement.
In court on Monday, Han rejected the charges, insisting that she has neither interest in nor knowledge about politics. Her lawyers argued against the arrest, citing her age and worsening health.
Han is also accused of colluding with a former church official, surnamed Yun, to offer 100 million won in bribes to conservative lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong ahead of the 2022 presidential election, in exchange for favours for the church in the event that Yoon won the election – which he did.
Kweon, once seen as a close confidante of Yoon, was arrested last Wednesday. He denies accepting bribes.
The Unification Church had pinned the blame for both sets of allegations – involving Kim and Kweon – on the former church official, saying he acted alone in offering those gifts. The official has since been arrested.
Kim, the former first lady, was indicted last month on various charges, including bribery and stock manipulation, which she denies. Her trial started this week.
Her arrest marked the first time that both a former president and former first lady have been jailed in South Korea.
Yoon was detained in January and is facing a separate trial over a failed martial law attempt last year that plunged the country into chaos and led to his impeachment.
The Unification Church, known formally as The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was founded in South Korea in the 1950s by Moon Sun-myung, who proclaimed himself the messiah.
The church is best known for holding mass weddings involving thousands of couples, some of whom would have only recently been matched by the church.
Critics have described the group as “cult -like”. Lawyers have accused it of coercing devotees, known colloquially as “Moonies” after its founder, to donate large sums of money.
The Unification Church has come under the spotlight in Japan after the 2022 assassination of the country’s former leader Shinzo Abe. The alleged assassin blamed the group for bankrupting his family and held a grievance against Abe for allegedly promoting it.
The group is banned in parts of the world, including Singapore. In Japan, it has been ordered to dissolve.
